Rubber attachment.



H. KARNATZ.

RUBBER ATTAOHMBNT.

APPLICATION FILED mum. 1910.

978,304. Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY KARNATZ, 0F MENOMONIE, WISCONSIN.

RUBBER ATTACHMENT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY KARNATZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Menomonie, in the county of Dunn and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Attachments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to an attachment for rubbers, and more articularly to an ankle brace or support at lapted to be separately manufactured and sold and attached by the purchaser to the rubber.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple attachment of the above character adapted to be sewed to the upper edge of the rubber and to afford a protectlon for the instep and prevent the entrance of snow and water between the laced edges of the shoe upper, said protector having comparatively heavy pieces of leather secured to the sides thereof and extending rearwardly beneath the ankles of the wearer to serve as a brace or support.

Another object is to provide a rubber attachment of the above character which is simple and inexpensive in construction and one which will-not detract from the appearance of the shoe when attached thereto.

WVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the novel features of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved rubber attachment illustrating the application of the same; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig. 3 is a plan view of the attachment detached; and Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4% of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawings 5 indicates the central flexible body member of the attachment which is adapted to extend above the rubber and to be disposed over the adjacent laced edges of the shoe upper. This member may be made of cloth or thin flexible leather, and may be ornamented if desired.

The opposite sides of the member 5 are bent upon themselves, as shown in Fig. 4, and the outer edges thereof are longitudinally' curved, as at 6. These bent over edge portions of the member 5 have attached thereto one end of the ankle supporting Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 4, 1910.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

Serial No. 547,281.

members 7. These members may be sewed to the edges of the member 5 or secured thereto by suitable adhesive material. The members 8 of the snap fasteners similar to those usually employed on gloves are arranged in series in the flaps 5 formed by the secured edges of the members 5 and 7. The fastener members 8 are adapted to be snapped over the heads of the other members 8 of the fasteners which are secured to the body member 5. The lower attaching edges of the members 5 and 7 form a substantially continuous unbroken line and are adapted to be secured by means of the stitching 10 to the upper edge of the front and sides of the rubber. The members 7 are of comparatively heavy leather and the upper edges 7 thereof are cut to fit closely under the ankle of the wearer thereby bracing and supporting the same.

The attachment above described is adapted to be manufactured and sold separately from the rubbers. The purchaser sews the same to the upper edge of the rubber as above described and secures the flaps by means of the fastening members 8 and 8, thus closely securing the central body member 5 and the members 7 together and holding the member 5 upon the laced edges of the shoe whereby a protection is provided over the laces to prevent the entrance of water or snow. The free end of the central member 5 and the arrangement of the fasteners admits of the adjustment of the attachment so that it may be tightened or loosened by simply detaching the upper fastener members, thus allowing the material to more readily flex with the movement of the foot of the wearer in walking.

From the foregoing it is believed that the construction and operation of my improved attachment will be readily understood without necessitating any further description.

The device is extremely simple, may be manufactured at a very low cost, and is highly durable and efiicient in use.

While I have shown and described what I believe to be the preferable form of my invention, it will be understood that the same is susceptible of numerous minor changes without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

The herein described rubber attachment comprising a central flexible member, side members of less flexibility than the central member, said side members having reversely curved upper edges and tapering toward one of their ends, said tapered ends being disposed beneath the ankles of the wearer, the lower longitudinal edges of said side mem-. bers and the lower edge of the central member describing a continuous curved line, said members being secured together at their lower edges and to the upper edge of a rubber, the opposed inner ends of said side members being oppositely curved, said members and the central member carrying fas tening devices whereby the ends of the side members may be detachably connected to the body of the central member, said fasteners being concentrically arranged with the curved lnner ends of the side members whereby said central member is stretched between the opposed ends of the side members and over the lacing of the shoe of the wearer when the fastening members are connected.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY KARNATZ.

Witnesses Mrs. C. PAULY,

JENNIE M. BRAOKETT. 

